Combined lens and reflector



Dec. 15, 1936. A. N. TAYLOR 2,064,501

' v COMBINED LENS AND REFLECTOR Filed April 6, 1956 IN VENTOR ARNOLD N-TAYLQ BY E i :4 v

A TTORNE VS Patented Dec. 15, 1936 PATENT OFFICE COMBINED LENS AND REFLECTOR Arnold N. Taylor, Detroit, Mich., assignor to C. M. Hall Lamp Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan 7 Application April 6,

3 Claims.

The invention relates to lenses such as are used on vehicle lamps and more particularly upon tail lamps. It is the object of the invention to obtain a construction with which, in case ,the light is 5 extinguished, there will still be an illumination from the lamp due to reflected light from a following car. To this end, the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

Inthe drawing: I Figure l is a section through a portion of a vehicle tail light showing my improved construction of lens;

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof. In the present state of the art, signaling devices have been constructed in which the light received from the head lamps of an approaching car is reflected and concentrated to show a brightly illuminated spot. Such devices include a suitable casing in which the reflector is located and a convex lens in front of this casing. As it has no inherent power of illumination, the device is usually mounted on an opaque background. On the other hand,.vehicle lamps are usually provided with lenses through which the light must pass outward from the interior of the casing and it is desirable that the beam projected by such a lamp should be without obstruction or shadows. Thus, it would seem to be undesirable to mount a reflecting unit such as above'referred to on a lens, inasmuch as this would form an opaque obstruction to the passage of light from the interior of the lamp.

My improved lamp combines the-two devices above described, while avoiding the objection just referred to. This is accomplished by mounting the reflector unit at the center of the lens and so constructing the surrounding portion of the lens as to pass the light around the obstruction, avoiding the casting of any shadow therefrom.

The specific construction of the reflector unit forms no part of the present invention and I will, therefore, only generally describe the same. Thus, as shown A is an opaque casing containing the reflector unit and B is the convex lens secured 45 to the front of the casing A and forming a part of the unit. C is a convex lens suitable for mounting upon a casing D of a tail lamp or other lamp construction. This lens has formed at the axial center thereof an aperture E of sufficient size to receive the casing A which casing has at its front end an annular shoulder A for bearing against a sealing gasket F. The portion of the casing which extends to the inner side of the lens has 1936, Serial No. 72,994

sleeved thereon a spring. G, one end of which bears against a collar H on the casing, while the other end bears against the lens. Thus, the unit will be held in position and the gasket F will form a seal for excluding the weather.

The bulb I within the lamp has its filament located substantially in the longitudinal axis and, therefore, direct light from this filament passing outward would be obstructed by the opaque casing A causing a central shadow. Such effect is, however, prevented by providing the portion of the lens surrounding the casing A with a series of annular prisms J. These are so constructed that a portion of the light impinging thereagainst is bent so as to pass around the casing A and to form an unobstructed beam. Thus, to the observer, from the rear the lamp, when in operation, gives the appearance of a fully illuminated surface, the casing A and lens portion B being invisible. On the other hand, if the interior light is extinguished then the reflector unit will be operated by light from the rear so as to still give illumination at the center of the lens C.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Ina lamp, the combination with a lens, of a reflector unit having an opaque casing mounted on said lens, and means in the portion of said lens surrounding said reflector unit for refracting the light to avoid casting of a shadow by said unit.

2. In a lamp, the combination of alens having an aperture in the axial center thereof, a reflector unit comprising an opaque casing fitting within said aperture and provided with an annular shoulder, means for securing said casing to said lens, a convex lens at the outer end of said casing forminga portionof said unit, a source of light arranged axially within said lamp, and means in the portion of said first mentioned lens surround--v ing said casing for retracting the light to cover the shadow of said casing. i Y

. 3. In a lamp, the combination of a lenshaving an aperture in the axial center thereof and a series of annular prisms in the portion surrounding said aperture," a reflector unit provided with an opaque casing located in said aperture and having a convex lens outside said casing, said reflector unit being adapted for illumination by light from therear andsaid first mentioned lens together with the annular prisms thereof transmitting light from within the lamp so as to cover the shadow of said opaque casing.

' ARNOLD N. TAYLOR. 

